A bit of a take on #StoicWisdom here...

What Marcus meant by this in his magnum opus work, Meditations, was that the Stoic finds a way to turn every negative into a positive. In this famous line, what he’s suggesting is that—no matter how bad or seemingly undesirable a situation becomes—we always have the opportunity to practice virtue, to use the situation as an opportunity to be our best selves. We don’t control when things get hard, but we always control how we respond. We can show patience, courage, humility, resourcefulness, reason, justice, and creativity. The things that test us make us who we are.

The Stoic grows stronger and better with every obstacle they face. They rally to every challenge and thrive as a result. So can you

In my life this has often turned out to be true. What's in the way, is the way. Life's challenges turned out to be the path forward for me, so many times. Yes, those challenges, those obstacles often create fear, stress, and worry because we are human. They are often viewed as the downside of life, the things we wish didn't happen or weren't true. And, there is no doubt that they do indeed challenge us, deeply and, sometimes, to the point of breaking us.

Yet, because we are indeed human, because we have an inherent nature to overcome, to thrive, we find the depth and richness of life in those very same challenges. They create a space in our journey to grow and to fully realize just who we really are.

So then, who are we really? We are that which is powerful beyond measure, yes, beautifully flawed, but perfect just as we are. We are Love, and Love is the most powerful force in the Universe.

You, my friend, are beautiful, and so powerful, never give up, and know that you are loved, wanted, and needed in this world...never give up...never...

Much Love, Peace and Gratitude to you and for you, my friend,
Rico-

A bit of a take on #StoicWisdom here... was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Life has shown me otherwise.

I have personally experienced, in a very profound way, that Gratitude and Love are incredibly powerful forces in this world. I know that I can indeed bring that power to bear in my life and, perhaps even more importantly, in the lives of others.

See, agree with me or not, I do believe in the power that we have within to change the current paradigm. I do believe in the good that exists within us and in humanity overall. I do believe that Love is the most powerful force in the Universe.

No matter what, no matter what others do, I intend to live my life allowing that Love and Gratitude to flow freely through me and into the world around me. I know I am not alone in that. And, that is a very powerful thing indeed.

To all my friends out there, that share this same passion and belief, I say, you are not alone my friend! Find your tribe, find that vibe, and make it come alive in your life.

It is amazing what can happen when you do…

Much Love, (More of this, please…)

Rico- Peace, baby!✌️✌️❤️

Someone once told me that because the world was so rotten, vile, and evil, it wouldn’t make any… was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Trust it!

Yes, it is indeed hard, sometimes it seems almost impossible to do what this bit of wisdom implies. To trust that things have meaning. Especially those tragic, heartbreaking moments in life.

Yet, at least in my experience, even the death of someone that I loved deeply has given me something to move my life forward with. I never, ever, ever “wanted” that to happen, or held those thoughts in my mind, of course. In fact, I thought we would go on forever, get married and create a beautiful life together. I raged against “God”, against myself, against the disease that took her from this plane of existence. I lived with anger and depression deep inside me every single day. I lost myself for almost two years.

It took Grace and the Love that she had for me, and I for her, that did not die with her physical form. I did not see that right away of course. Isn’t that the way these monumentally tragic events in life occur? That long after the tragedy is past we finally come to a discernment within about it. And, if we find a way forward we often see those moments as somehow, miraculously, impossibly, part of that path forward.

I know this may be hard to understand for some. Especially if you are in the middle of one of those tragic moments in life. All I can say is that this is a very deep and abiding truth within me now. I have gained strength from this that I did not have before . An assurance, if you will, that all is well, all will be well, and that I can face down anything life tosses my way now.

I know this because Love is the most powerful force in the Universe, and it was Love that saved me and taught me this…

Day follows night…

Life is all about how we deal with those moments AND what we become because of them.

Trust this, my friend…

Much Love, Peace and Joy,

Rico-

Trust it! was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We all have "issues". A "dark side", if you will. Society teaches, for the most part, that we need to turn away from that darkness, from those weaknesses and imperfections. We are taught that it is something we don’t need or want in our life.

Yet, it is part of us. As integral as the "light" that exists within us all. It might seem contradictory, and it certainly was for me for much of my life, but I believe it is something we must embrace in order to be our "best" in the Universe.

To do this, I believe, does not mean we just accept our faults and imperfections and just say "fuck it" that is who I am without regard to the negativity that might be bringing into the world, into YOUR world. It means we come to a place in our life that we sit with those imperfections for a space of time and, through Awareness, begin to see the part they have played in our life. How they have contributed to who we are and, most of all, to learn to let them go in order to make room for better and more meaningful aspects of our true nature to shine through. That has been my experience at least.

I trust that you, my friend, are open to the idea that we must embrace all aspects of our beautify flawed humaneness. And that, on your journey, you see yourself as more than skin and bones with imperfections and weaknesses. I hope you see that you are beautiful and powerful beyond measure. That you are Love incarnate and, most of all, that you have within yourself the power to bring that Love into your world and those around you.

Love is the most powerful force in the Universe...

Sending Love, Peace and Positivity out...
Rico-🙏🏼❤️

We all have "issues". was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

But violence begets violence. It has always been that way and will continue to be that way. Violence is never the answer to violence. I know that very well. I lived a great part of my life with violence and chaos as part of my daily existence. As a teen I was sucked into a world of violence and trouble. My reactions to any "slight", perceived or otherwise, were immediate and fierce. It never solved anything and led me down a path that would take me years to come back from. Years of my life that I can never take back.

It might only be me, but I believe, truly believe, that the next step in our evolution will come about as a result of the unprecedented chaos and unrest that exists in the world today. That upheaval will act as a catalyst for this. Great change is always preceded by chaos, by disruption to the "norm". The difference nowadays is that there are many, many more people that are aware- self aware if you will.

Through that awareness comes a deep understanding of who we truly are. And, who we truly are is just the most powerful force in the Universe, because it is Love.

And, it is needed more than ever. I don't know about you, but I plan to spread that shit around even more...

Sending you much love and peace,
Rico-

Events in the world often pull us aside from our true purpose and nature. was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Relax and Breathe…

Yes, life is hard and it sucks sometimes. But, we tend to make things worse by over thinking, being way too hard on ourselves and by buying into the mind game that this is “how it has to be”. Listen, no one knows better than I do how incredibly tough it can get. I have been there. But nothing is gained by staying in that space. You are no good to anyone when you buy into that BS notion that life just sucks AND that this is how life is meant to be. Key there: “meant to be”. That is just not true!

Is life always a “bowl of cherries” or whatever fruit makes you happy? Of course not! And, let’s not buy into “that” idea either because that is unrealistic.That’s just more of that mind game really.

How about finding the space in life (it takes you not giving up or giving in. This shit ain’t easy you know!) where things flow more often than not? How about accepting that things will be tough from time to time and allowing that to be? Allowing yourself that space to feel sad or bad or angry? Yes, that is okay too. It really is.

Where things get muddied up is when we stay there. When we let that become who we are and what we are. That does not need to happen! Ever…..

Today why not make conscious choices and create the day that YOU want. Take a few minutes to be grateful. Gratitude is a magic trick that can do amazing things in your life, IF you are consistent with it. Why not accept that things might (probably will) happen that are not according to plan? If you come at life that way it’s hard to get knocked down and even harder for things to keep you down…

Love to all,
Rico-

Relax and Breathe… was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

There is so much in the world that can pull us down these days for sure. No way to get around that. It exists. Yet, if you “allow” that negativity to “sink” your attitude and bring you down you negate the good that you can bring into your space in this world.

I am not saying that you walk around with your head in the clouds. In fact, true compassion actually brings you more in touch with the sadness, pain, etc. that is there. But, when you choose to not attach to that sadness you are bringing light into that darkness. You can be that positive force for good in that way. Why not be that? Why not allow yourself to feel that pain but NOT let it become who you are? That is a very powerful thing indeed. It is Love. It is Divine….

Don't sink your own ship… was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As Sir Richard Branson suggests, “to know if your business idea is any good, try it on your Mum.”

Imagine waking up and having no idea where you are. I’m not talking about a strange apartment after a night of binge drinking. The bed is familiar, and so is the carpet, the wallpaper and the tacky artwork hanging on the wall. But you can’t recall the city or the state. You’re not even sure of the time zone. Welcome to my life as a nomad…

Over the three years since graduation, I’ve lived on the road and up in the air. Don’t let George Clooney give you the wrong impression; my reality was much less Hollywood. The luxury planes, meticulously organized luggage and steamy romantic affairs were replaced by Southwest flights full of crying babies, carry-on bags overflowing with electronics and sweaty gym clothes, and late-night Skype sessions with my girlfriend over my sixth Chipotle meal of the week.

I travelled to small businesses across the country to teach roofing contractors how to use an online database to more efficiently manage scheduling, job costing, sales, and human resources. Over three years, I visited over 150 different companies in 40 states. At most companies, it was like trying to teach the ancient Egyptians to build the pyramids with cranes and bulldozers. The employees had limited or no experience with technology and had developed manual, hand-written processes that worked for decades. Imagine six reluctant employees huddled around my training presentation, projected on the back of some old blueprints taped to the wall of their sheet metal shop.

Nonetheless, I loved my job. Helping people see that the technology they so hate and resent can actually make their lives and work vastly easier and more pleasant was a thrill for me.

After two years on the road, life threw me a curveball. My mom’s mother, better known as my Bubba, was diagnosed with lung cancer. She changed my diapers, helped teach me multiplication and drove me to my sporting events and school dances. When I went to college, I saw her less often, only coming home for holidays and class breaks. When I graduated and started working, our visits were even less frequent, limited to an occasional phone call or holiday visit. After her diagnosis, my priorities changed.

For the next year and a half, among the flights, rental cars, hotels, projectors and contractor offices, I found more and more time to drive Enola, PA to sit with her at her kitchen table. We mostly just talked — the news, the weather, television shows, my childhood, her childhood, my life, her life. We laughed a lot. I will never hear another dirty joke without imagining Bubba laughing uncontrollably. If she had a good one, she rarely made it to the punch line — squealing with laughter before the rest of us even knew what was so funny.

We cried a little, too.

Shortly after she passed, I got another curveball. Greed and egos led to a change in management at my employer. As one of the first employees at the small startup, I pictured myself working there for the rest of my life. However, after a few weeks of internal chaos and unanswered questions, I realized I could no longer work for the company. I was devastated; I loved my job and could not imagine doing anything else. The subsequent weeks were filled with sleepless nights, tossing and turning, contemplating my future. Somehow, I wanted to continue to do what I love — educate individuals who were unfamiliar with technology.

More specifically, I wanted to start a business that trained older people to use technology to feel more connected to loved ones.

I knew exactly how to test-drive my idea. My dad’s 82-year-old mother, an absolute spitfire of a woman, lived two hours north of me, and I knew she missed her grandchildren terribly. A mother of five and widow for over 25 years, she lived alone and almost burst with excitement every time she saw one of her grandchildren.

When I called to ask her to lunch, I had to pull the phone away from my ear as she screamed, “Ohhhh yeah, you got it babycakes!”. Unfortunately, she was not as receptive to the iPad I tried to show her, or to the idea of using technology to stay in touch. Her youngest son had bought her a computer 10 years ago to email her as he travelled for work. “I told them to take it away! There were always things popping up that I didn’t want to see,” she told me. The computer got a virus, and that was the end of that.

I tried to assure her that technology had evolved, and I could teach her to use an iPad — a device recognized for its ease of use and for being safe from viruses. I was speaking Greek.

Eventually, I won her with an irresistible offer. Since I know that learning something completely new is a scary proposition for anyone, I agreed to let her teach my girlfriend and I ballroom dancing, if she let me teach her to use the iPad. That did the trick! A lifetime dancer (still goes dancing every Friday night,) she was so excited that I was willing to learn and finally gave in.

Knowing that I had to get her interested immediately, I instructed her how to video conference with my brother in Philadelphia via FaceTime. Even more animated than usual, she chatted with him for nearly 20 minutes. It was smooth sailing from there. She picked up on the navigation in no time.

My dancing was a different story. Rhythm nor grace is my strong suit, and my cha-cha showed it, looking more like a malfunctioning robot than a sexy Latin dancer.

Gram continued to find new reasons to use her iPad. She was frustrated that the local newspaper had reduced print frequency to three days a week and hated the small print. We downloaded an app for local and national news, customizing each with large font. She absolutely loved listening to John Pizzarelli on Pandora Radio. I encouraged my family to email pictures and taught her to save them into photo albums. We even started a private circle through Google + with my cousins, aunts and uncles. After three visits, she was completely addicted — reading the iPad every morning with her cup of coffee and every evening after dinner.

Since my first training with Gram, our startup has helped several older adults connect to loved ones. We partnered with a local college to host informational seminars, and our cause is spreading locally through word of mouth.

If I have learned anything during my short stint as an adult, it is that life can happen fast. The unexpected moments — the curveballs that inevitably occur — force us to recognize what is truly important. It’s strange to say, but I have to credit the losses of my first job and my grandmother with pushing me toward work that feels so right.

UPDATE — I first posted this article on my blog in May of last year. If you are interested in how the business turned out, check out my most recent update — My First Year as an Entrepreneur: An Exercise in Humility

A Tale of Two Grandmas was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“Run hard when it’s hard to run.” ~Pavvo

Most of us defer to physical limitations somewhere in middle age. I’m not one of those people.

For me there is no age really, only time, and competing is better than any drug. Not because I thrive off of thrashing people in sports, which has its merits. But because I have to test and push myself to feel truly alive, and the oxygen rush and endorphins from sports are better than anything on the planet, except for one thing. Because a life of physical exertion is life to me, and a lack of it is a partial end of it.

I started playing football at eight years old and played until I was twenty-one at Florida State. It was a whole way of life that I relished and at times detested. My father, who’d played at Georgia Tech, inspired me by taking me to Tech games, where the colors and noise and excitement were infectious. He would stride through the house singing “You've got to be a football hero, to get along with the beautiful girls….” And since I liked football, and was crazy about girls, it worked beautifully for me.

I loved the thrill of the game and hitting, the camaraderie of a band of brothers on a mission, and running down the field wide open on an opening kick off hell-bent-for-leather like a kamikaze madman making the tackle.

I tried to quit a few times, once at eleven, unless the coaches let me carry the football. Sure, they said, come on back and we’ll give it a try. They gave me the ball a few times then threw me back into the line where I belonged and stayed.

But there is nothing like throwing that perfect block and watching your running back’s legs hurtle through the line for a seventy yard touchdown, or sacking a quarterback on third down in the fourth quarter of a close game. It’s a high only doing it can give you.

In the off season my older brother and I would go to a field and run a mile, then toss “The Duke,” the NFL ball made by Wilson, running routes and punting to each other until it was too dark to see.

After full pads football there were serious touch football games and so much handball I could grab flies out of the air like they were standing still.

And I was always running.

At 30 I became obsessed with tennis. A friend and I were determined to hit tennis balls like a pro, and for the first few months would run outside the courts and pick up all the balls in the grass every fifteen minutes. Gradually we kept them inside and on the court, and in a few years were hitting topspin and backspin cross court backhands with the best of them. We’d get on clay courts in the middle of the southern sweltering heat wearing nothing but shorts and tennis shoes and run each other literally into the ground.

In my forties I became addicted to softball and every weekend our family life revolved around it. I played a weeknight at Softball Country Club where there were twelve fields and batting cages and some of the teams were bruisers who hit rockets, and afterword we’d sit in the clubhouse watching other games, getting drunk to celebrate or drown our sorrows, or go to Hooters for wings and beer, laughing at our middle age Viking warrior lechery.

Once diving for a fly ball in left field on a foggy February night my right hamstring felt like I’d been slapped with a shotgun. I heard the muscle pop and practically crawled off the field, but as soon as I could I was back out there charging line drives again.

I was always running, running on beaches, running in the rain, running up stadium steps at night, doing sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, craving the oxygenated body. I’d worked out with weights in my football years, but my father who had Indian strength and could walk up steps on his hands, said to do workouts that gave you usable strength, and I went back to that. I ran a mile or two quickly just about every day, always got high off of it, and hated to miss it.

When my two boys were old enough we started playing basketball at a nearby gym. I’d played basketball for fun as a kid, didn't have extraordinary court skills, but used my athleticism to become a competitive player in my fifties, running with twenty year olds. When some guy in his forties started moaning about “getting old,” my younger son and I looked at each other and laughed. I was in my late fifties and complaining about “getting old” was sacrilege to me. Complaining was not giving the proper respect and gratitude for the privilege of being able to play, period.

Because if you talk and moan and whine about being old, you will be fast.

Whatever you tell yourself is what the body, mind and spirit will believe. It is a mantra that defines you, not an explanation or fact; you limit yourself and give yourself excuses to do less and less, and pretty soon you can’t do anything at all, or don’t want to.

Others will understand, of course, because most people are with you. It’s time to hang it up. It hurts too much. Nobody plays basketball at your age.

But if doing is ageless, then there is no real age, only experience. There are obvious changes, but compensations too. An older athlete, taking all he’s learned since childhood from other sports, can use his wiles and practical expertise to his advantage, knowing when and where to press, seeing more of the flow of things than the less traveled athlete, and can contribute as a leader and encourager. And if he’s worked out all his life he can play the game too.

To celebrate his 6oth birthday Jack LaLanne swam from Alcatraz Island across San Francisco Bay handcuffed and shackled. To mark his 70th birthday, he towed a flotilla of 70 rowboats during a mile-long swim from Long Beach Harbor to the Queensway Bridge, both in Long Beach, Calif.

The human body is capable of far more than we give it credit for, given everything it needs to perform at its best, not being told it’s time to quit.

No one lives forever, and there may come a time I’ll settle for walks on the beach, but not any time soon. I still crave the exhilaration of wind in my face on a fast break, of sinking a wet thirty footer, of snatching down rebounds and firing laser passes to the other end of the court. I may feel like I've been run over by a truck after two hours on the basketball court, but a day or two later I’m ready to go again.

As long as I can do this, after knee surgeries if necessary to keep doing it, I’m running with the same intensity and joy and unbridled passion I had when I was twenty, because every second of it is another blessed chance to live all the way up. It is the sweet nectar of working out and the game that makes life burn and shine more brilliantly, a kind of contagious laughter of the senses and heart, that precious pumping of blood and breath, that luxurious pouring of hard fought and glorious athletic sweat.

Because there is no age, there is only time.

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Ron Clinton Smith is a film actor, recently seen on True Detective, Hidden Figures, Boy Erased, a writer of stories, songs, poetry, screenplays, and the novel Creature Storms.

Code Of The Ageless Warrior was originally published in Inspiration Station on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.